


Silver is the Moon

by HSavinien



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Character Study, Devotion, Established Relationship, Fluff, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, Love, M/M, POV Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Podfic Available, Rings, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25902718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HSavinien/pseuds/HSavinien
Summary: Joe prefers it when he can wear his rings.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 30
Kudos: 440





	Silver is the Moon

Joe resents it when fashion flips around to dismissing men’s adornment. It’s tedious to have to find a longer chain to stash his rings and pendants under his shirt, muffled in silk or linen to prevent them clinking when they’re on a stealth mission. 

He’ll do it, to be taken seriously and not stand out until things cycle back in a decade or so, but he hates feeling like he must hide away his beloved’s tokens of affection simply because the world doesn’t appreciate beauty. Nicky only shrugs and tips their foreheads together whenever Joe’s shoulders slump and he reluctantly changes out the shorter chain for the long one, pulling off his rings and threading them on, one by one. Joe kisses each before he adds it to the chain, eyes on Nicky’s, watching the brush of his eyelashes from so close that they blur into a sweep of feathery brown against his cheeks.

They aren’t valuable by any measure of the world, his rings. They are mostly silver or silver-plate, things that Nicky’s found in markets and secondhand stores, picked up from artists and metalworkers, everywhere from Nepal to Argentina to northern Canada. Every one is immeasurably dear to Joe, because they are Niccolò’s gifts to him, given with kisses and caresses to adorn him in brightness, the way Joe gives Nicky his words. When one of the rings breaks, as they must eventually, Joe holds onto it until they can reach one of their stashes, to place it in a box with the other tokens he saves from their long years together.

Right now, here, he can wear them, silver and warm against his skin, watching the sweep of hand and metal over the plane of Nicky’s shoulders. 

“My heart, my own, match to my soul,” Joe murmurs, his voice breaking on the words as Nicky’s mouth writes quiet, scorching love letters down the soft places of his stomach and thigh.

“I love you,” Nicky breathes, eyes lifting to catch his. “What should I do with you, Yusuf?”

Joe cards his fingers through Nicky’s hair where it is growing out. “My love, would you take me to pieces?”

Nicky’s slow, satisfied blink answers that entirely, but the “Always,” he says into Joe’s hip has Joe catching his breath even before Nicky’s teeth wake sharp sparks of red across his vision. Nicky’s fingers are…

“Your hands are like the tide, your mouth a brand of fire,” Joe says, breath shaky. “You are- oh, you are al-kaukab al-shamaliyy, the direction of my every thought.” He clutches at Nicky’s hair, struggling to keep still at the relentless storm of Nicky’s love, sea-bright eyes flicking up to catch his when Joe is so foolish-wise as to look down to see the force of gravity that is his Niccolò, pulling him toward the best of oblivions.

Nicky’s shoulders press his legs wider, warm and wondrous, the solid breadth of him grounding even as he pulls Joe up towards the peak; his moon, lighting the way and leading him toward forever. 

Joe tips over with a cry, flailing until Nicky’s hand catches his, lacing their fingers together.

“I’m here.” Nicky slides up to cover Joe’s body with his own, blanketing him, nose buried in his neck.

Joe laughs breathlessly, still shuddering. “Oh, I am aware, love.” He smooths his free hand down Nicky’s back to rest in the dip of his spine. 

Nicky hums comfortably and pulls their hands up together. He kisses Joe’s rings, one-two-three. “Destìn o mæ.”

Joe holds him loosely, and loves him, fiercely and forever.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Silver is the Moon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26792383) by [greedy_dancer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greedy_dancer/pseuds/greedy_dancer)




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